


For Whom The Bell Tolls

by sgtcyanide221b



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Fire alarms cause havoc on Jim's reading and sleeping schedule, M/M, Uni life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-03
Updated: 2015-04-03
Packaged: 2018-03-21 01:54:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3673152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sgtcyanide221b/pseuds/sgtcyanide221b
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James Moriarty despises fire alarms, even more so when he needs to sleep. But, perhaps the fire alarm will wake more than just the students.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For Whom The Bell Tolls

2:45am. 

The clock which stood on Jim’s bedside table illuminated his room with its dull red glow. Momentarily, he glanced up from the page of the article his professor had suggested to him and shook his head. He could finish the article at least, before he even had to contemplate sleep, and having satiated his own uncomfortableness at still being awake, Jim’s attention was soon absorbed by the book, once more. Until now, sleep had evaded him, because of his housemates were making it nigh on impossible to sleep, what with their attempts at socialising in a room down the hall from Jim. He had taken to shoving his headphones in and losing himself in the text before him.

3:55am. 

Jim hadn’t even been aware that time had been passing by so rapidly, until he had become vaguely aware of the pale light of dawn beginning to intrude through his thin curtains. With his first lecture of the day at nine: Jim would have to be awake at seven to finish his presentation preparations and get ready in time. A part of him cursed the suggestions of his professor, but by the same token, the article had piqued his interested, hence his current lack of sleep. Growling to himself, and cursing the university and his professor in equal measure: Jim threw himself from his bed and changed out of his jeans, tossing them into the corner of the room. 

******************

Barely had Jim’s eyes shut, as he hoped for sleep to find him in the time he had left, when the piercing urgency of the fire-alarm was waking him. He startled awake and was falling over his feet in a hurry to shove on a pair of star patterned lounge pants, and a jacket. In his time living in the halls; such a thing had happened several times, and each time had been the result of some idiots attempting to cook whilst inebriated. The procedure was the same each time; they were required to assemble in their room order. Meaning that Jim was now acquainted with his neighbour on one side, whilst the other had been conspicuously absent from the previous alarms. 

Now, shivering to try and keep warm, and biting his tongue to stop himself from cursing any of his fellow students, simply for the sake of not risking an argument so early in the morning, when he needed sleep more than he needed to address the state of student living. Jim’s eyes roved around the huddles of students, and he felt a smirk pulling at his lips. Unlike some, he had thought ahead and picked up clothes before heading out into the freezing early-morning temperatures. The same could not be said for his neighbour, the same neighbour whom Jim hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting. 

Jim turned to face this neighbour and carelessly gave him a cursory inspection. Sports fan, literature student, military family, born into money and proud of it. Sebastian Moran. Of course… The two shared little in common, or so Jim could see. Sebastian was a part of the more rowdy of his block. Quite possibly, he was one of those who had made it impossible for Jim to get to sleep. He had to stop himself smirking when he caught sight of Sebastian’s outfit. A thin cotton shirt shoved on over an otherwise naked torso and a pair of boxers. Nothing else to act as a barrier against the cold. 

“Cold enough for you, Moran?” Jim sneered, rocking back on his heels and laughing out loud. 

Sebastian’s attention was caught and he turned to face Jim; a cold expression settling on his features. “I was in the fucking shower, when some bright cunt decided to set off the alarm.” He answered with a hint of venom. 

Jim cocked his head to one side. “Do I want to know why you were having a shower at four in the morning?” He asked. 

The odd nature of the routine seemed to go against what he suspected to be the regimented routine of a boy with a military family. Sebastian’s answer shocked Jim, but deep down he thought it made complete sense. 

“I was getting ready to go for a run before my lecture.” Sebastian answered honestly, rolling his shoulders and shrugging. “I mean, if that’s okay with you. Not like I need permission from you to do anything with my life.”

So, the sports fan was maintaining a tradition which had been instilled in him from his family. Father, possibly? Curious as it was, Jim wanted to know more. Why he was still doing as his father wished, still keeping his family values, despite being far from home. Or, so he suspected. The accent suggested Irish roots, not dissimilar to his own, whereas there was an underlying Cockney twang which implied a length of time in London, away from his family. 

Despite Jim’s precautions against the cold, even he was beginning to chill to his very core, and the checks to the building were barely even begun. He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked around the assembly, before turning his attentions back to Sebastian. Of course, his rugged good looks were not be dismissed. But, even while Jim watched him; he could see that there was more to him than that. Sebastian had since turned to a group of girls who shared his literature lecture and was chatting merrily about the recent texts they had been examining. Jim could see the fire in his eyes, the passion and the dedication. And, he smiled to himself. 

There was more to Sebastian Moran than met the eye; and the eye was privy to decidedly more than Sebastian could have anticipated with James Moriarty around.


End file.
